5 WWE match types that might never return
The recent WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view featured a total of 12 matches and five different match types, ranging from The New Day vs. SAnitY in a tables match to Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens inside a steel cage.
Throughout the years, several match types have come and gone in WWE, with over 100 different stipulations being used by the company to add extra significance to storylines.
Ever since WrestleMania 33 last year, it feels like WWE has given fans more match types than ever before, largely due to the stipulation-heavy PPV schedule that we’ve become accustomed to seeing in recent years.
However, while some special stipulation matches are guaranteed to stick around for a very long time, such as Hell In A Cell and ladder matches, there are others that are less likely to be brought back in a hurry.
In this article, let’s take a look at five match types that we might never see in WWE again.
Disclaimer: There are several matches involving WWE’s women that will obviously never return. We decided to leave them out of this list because there are far too many to mention individually.
#5 Punjabi Prison match
The third Punjabi Prison match in WWE history, Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton, took place at Battleground 2017, and it confirmed what everybody already knew: the concept has never worked and it probably never will.
The match stipulates that a competitor must escape two bamboo cages to claim the victory. The catch? The first structure has four doors, with each door staying open for a one-minute time period when a referee is instructed to open it. If somebody fails to escape any of the four doors, they must climb over the inner structure before climbing over the outer structure to win.
Sound complicated? It is, and that’s why all three Punjabi Prison matches (The Undertaker vs. The Big Show at Great American Bash 2006, Batista vs. The Great Khali at No Mercy 2007, and Mahal vs. Orton last year) were among the worst matches on every card they were on.
Granted that certain elements of the Punjabi Prison match are akin to that of the Hell In A Cell of Steel Cage matchups, however, the Punjabi Prison's prop and overall depiction to the live audience as well as fans watching on their digital devices, isn't of the highest viewing quality.
Although most of us love The Great Khali and his undeniable quirkiness, the Punjabi Prison match in which he's been a feature attraction of the years, isn't likely to return anytime soon.